Research at SIS

The faculty of the School of Information Sciences is committed to the conduct of basic and applied research that promotes the generation of new knowledge, services, and technology. The School also encourages research that strengthens its instructional and public service programs.

The research agendas of individual faculty address a wide range of problems in library and information science, and specific projects employ diverse research methodologies. Current faculty projects, for example, focus on structures of information production and distribution, including electronic publishing, digital libraries, the implications of universal telecommunication service, and the impact information and telecommunication policies on development.

Other projects focus on information seeking behavior, information user modeling and user knowledge structures. Two faculty members focus their attention on children’s use of information and children’s and young adult literature.

The School deliberately embraces an eclectic and interdisciplinary approach to research in order to create an intellectual atmosphere of curiosity and creativity. Faculty are encouraged to share this effort with our students, both in classroom and by means of independent study.

Our constant goal is to prepare students to become leaders in the information professions by providing them with an experience of vital critical inquiry.

School faculty established the "Center for Information Studies" in 1989 to support faculty research, as well as employ SIS graduate students with internships. Contact sis-cis@utk.edu for more information.